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California Bookwatch

Volume 9, Number 8 August 2014 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Political Science Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Audiobook Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Automotive Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf Science Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Psychology Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Military Shelf Art Shelf
Computer Shelf Education Shelf Business Shelf
Crafts Shelf International Studies Shelf Social Issues Shelf
LGBT Shelf Interior Design Shelf Architecture Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Music Shelf
Biography Shelf Travel Shelf Photography Shelf
California Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Pain: A Political History
Keith Wailoo
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu
9781421413655, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Pain: A Political History isn't your usual medical focus, but provides socio-political emphasis on compassionate relief and society's liberal trends and conservative actions, discussing the development of pain theories in politics, law and social circles and how the evolution of a post-war pain relief economy in response to recovering soldiers fostered the rise of a liberal pain standard and changing attitudes about pain's realities and limitations. Its wide-ranging and unusual focus makes this a 'must' not necessarily for health holdings, but for those looking at the bigger picture.

Think Like a Freak
Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780062218339, $28.99, www.amazon.com

Think Like a Freak comes from the author of the best-seller Freakonomics, and continues discussion of the subject through a winning combination of case histories and analysis that examines the thought process and how to effectively apply it to become more creative and productive. While this approach would seem to earn this book's place on a business shelf, it's reviewed here for its additional importance to any interested in how to change hearts and minds, and offers a range of approaches to understanding how decisions are made, paths are chosen, and values honed. Especially recommended for fans of the popular Freakonomics who want a winning, continuing discussion on the processes of revolutionary and cultural change.

The Object Parade
Dinah Lenney
Counterpoint Press
1919 Fifth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1916
www.counterpointpress.com
9781619023000, $25.00, www.amazon.com

The Object Parade provides a new collection of essays that revolve around one topic: what if one way to understand your life were to examine the objects in it? Which would be chosen, and why? Chapters thus begin with a real or imaginary object that represents something meaningful for the author and provides a lively series of vignettes that combine autobiography with reflection on objects and their importance in lives. It's hard to neatly categorize the audience for this: arts readers, fans of autobiographical writing and the essay format, and those interested in the evolution of meaning in life will all find The Object Parade equally compelling.


The Political Science Shelf

One Nation
Dr. Ben Carson
Sentinel Penguin
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9781595231123, $25.95, www.amazon.com

ONE NATION: WHAT WE CAN ALL DO TO SAVE AMERICA'S FUTURE comes from a neurosurgeon and political observer who here offers a key to circumventing America's decline: discussing important issues respectfully regardless of differences. It suggests ways to avoid the usual bickering and obstacles which seem to keep discussions from turning into positive paths of progress, and it addresses stalemates on many levels, from discussions of fiscal uncertainty and deteriorating morals to threats to basic educational processes. The result is a fine blueprint for better communication and more effective collaborative efforts at the highest levels of social and political interactions, recommended for any library strong in social and political change.


The Self-Help Shelf

Be Nobody
Lama Marut
Beyond Words /Atria
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.simonsays.com
9781582704548, $16.00, www.beyondwords.com

Everyone's trying to be 'somebody' and to gain a level of importance equated with success and respect: but what if this quest to be 'somebody' were replaced by attention to living an ethical life of selflessness rather than egoism? That's the concept and theme of a self-help, inspirational primer that advocates finding true happiness through meditation and self-inspection rather than striving to make a mark on the world. The result is a lively, engrossing survey highly recommended for self-help and inspirational readers.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Renewal
Anne Hendershott & Christopher White
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite 601, New York, NY 10003
www.encounterbooks.com
9781594037023, $25.99, www.amazon.com

RENEWAL: HOW A NEW GENERATION OF FAITHFUL PRIESTS AND BISHOPS IS REVITALIZING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH is for any Christian collection as well as for many holdings strong in social issues, and offers discussions on the Catholic Church in America that argue that the Church is not only NOT in decline, but is actually experiencing transformation and renewed energy. Changing, more modern Church leaders and principles Catholic teachings on social issues are leading to a revitalization process that is returning faith to the masses: that's the message of a powerful assessment that will interest and enliven any Catholic believer.

Jesus Research
James H. Charlesworth, et al.
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.eerdmans.com
9780802867285, $70.00, www.amazon.com

Jesus Research is no light Christian survey, but a 1,000+ page tome that explores nearly every facet of modern Jesus research from archaeology to psychology, literary traditional to historical sources, and more. Some forty internationally respected Jewish and Christian scholars gather a collection of articles from the 2007 Princeton-Prague Symposium on Jesus Research, which summarizes advances in understanding and analyzing Jesus. The result is a powerful collection of papers, highly recommended for any scholarly examination of Christian history and Jesus in particular.

Taking God at His Word
Kevin DeYoung
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
www.crossway.com
9781433542404, $17.99, www.amazon.com

Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You And Me asks whether the Bible can be trusted for guidance in complicated modern times, and how readers can know its teachings - and it provides an introduction to Bible study that considers questions raised by Christians and non-believers alike. From understanding the Bible's key passages and readings to how to apply the word of God to all circumstances, this is an excellent introduction recommended for any Christian reader.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Death at the Door
Carolyn Hart
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.us.penguingroup.com
9780425266175, $25.95, www.amazon.com

Death at the Door provides another Death on Demand mystery for newcomers and prior fans of the series, and centers around the owner of the Death on Demand bookstore, Annie Darling, who has several mysteries on her shelf, one involving a possible attempt to frame a local artist. While Annie is interested in fictional crimes, two acts of violence immerse her small community in confusion and murder and require her attention to detail when a murder suspect's sister engages her service. It's up to Annie and Max to uncover the truth in this intriguing 'whodunnit', recommended for any mystery collection!

Murder in Merino
Sally Goldenbaum
Obsidian
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.us.penguingroup.com
9780451415363, $24.95, www.amazon.com

MURDER IN MERINO: A SEASIDE KNITTERS MYSTERY provides another addition to the best-selling Seaside Knitters mystery series, featuring a knitting group that stitches and solves crimes. Here it's autumn in the small Massachusetts town, residents are leaving, and one mysterious guest is just arriving when she's implicated a murder. It's up to the Seaside Knitters to cast aside their work and come to her rescue in this intriguing murder mystery, recommended for any collection strong in murder mysteries or prior seaside knitters.

Murder and Mendelssohn
Kerry Greenwood
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
9781464202483, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Murder and Mendelssohn is a Phryne Fisher mystery and provides the 20th adventure in Greenwood's series revolving around her. Here a dead orchestral conductor involves a detective and Miss Fisher in a dangerous music-centered mystery that seems to surround one murder, then moves to embrace a wider range of possible perps, all with their own suspicious actions and motivations for murder. As the world of music becomes increasingly besieged, it's up to Phyrne to uncover the truth in this engrossing novel of action and intrigue.

The Ways of the Dead
Neely Tucker
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780670016587, $27.95, www.amazon.com

The Ways of the Dead is thriller writing at its best, provides the first of a projected new crime series, and creates a memorable character with one Sully carter, a journalist investigating the murder of the teen daughter of a prominent federal judge. He's back from reporting a war sporting injuries to boot, and has been spending time drinking as much as writing - until he decides to get involved in a case the police already consider easy. His investigation uncovers something far more sinister and involves everyone in a deadly sequence of fast-paced events, creating a novel that's hard to put down.


The Fiction Shelf

Lusty Little Women
Margaret Pearl
margaretpearlbooks.com
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
www.ulyssespress.com
9781612433028, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Lusty Little Women presents a take-off on the classic story: only here the sisters are coming of age and facing numerous temptations. Packed with steamy encounters that aren't part of the original, Lusty Little Women is a fun read that pairs sexy scenes with logical sequences of events in keeping with the Little Women scenario, making this a fun twist on the classic story, highly recommended for any who enjoy steamy romances.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Patchwork Loves Embroidery
Gail Pan
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
9781604683738, $24.99, www.amazon.com

Patchwork Loves Embroidery: Hand Stitches, Pretty Projects features full-sized hand-embroidery designs and is a recommendation for any who want a combination of patchwork and hand-embroidery projects. Here the basics of hand embroidery meld with the fundamentals of quilting to create new methods and motifs. Projects range from home decor to accessories, and pair patterns and full-page color photos with step-by-step instructions any needleworker can achieve. The result is a fine collection recommended for any looking for different projects.

Mariner's Compass Quilts
Cynthia Sisler Simms
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764345258, $19.99, www.amazon.com

Mariner's Compass Quilts: Solid & Split Point Patterns provides a fine step-by-step guide to new patterns and shapes for the traditional Mariner's compass quilt motif, and provides eight different patterns in two sizes so quilters can learn the motif and its different variations. Quilters receive all the steps to creating a finished product, and will appreciate the wealth of full-color photos and full-page patterns throughout.

Modern Quilts & More
Kimberly Einmo
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.americanquilter.com
9781604601343, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Modern Quilts & More pairs a gallery of over a dozen original quilt designs with sections outlining easy projects and skills-building approaches to using these design ideas in one's own efforts, making for a delightful approach that will appeal to newcomers to Einmo's style as well as those fans who appreciate her attention to detail and step-by-step approach to recreating contemporary designs. It's all about patterns, color choices, design and options: in this, Einmo excels, and succeeds in passing along her excitement to all levels of quilters.

Knit Noro 1-2-3 Skeins
Joy Aquilino, Editorial Director
SixthandSpring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301, NY, NY 10013
www.sixthandspringbooks.com
9781936096695, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Knit Noro 1-2-3 Skeins: 30 Colorful Knits use Noro's colorful fibers in projects that require only one, two or three skeins of yarn each, and provide everything from shawls and capes to hats and even flower brooches and scarves. Knitters receive full-page color photos of completed projects, materials and skill level outlines, and step-by-step knitting instructions for duplicating the project successfully. Any who want to take advantage of the Noro fibers will find this an excellent introduction to making the most of the Noro line.


The Audiobook Shelf

Good Talk, Dad
Bill Geist and Willie Geist
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.HachetteAudio.com
9781478953067, $30.00, www.amazon.com

Good Talk, Dad: The Birds and the Bees... and Other Conversations We Forgot to Have is narrated by the authors and comes from award-winning journalists who have years of conversation and insights between them. The Geists are a close family that never quite discussed important life issues - until now. This audio brings to life a range of subjects that never quite came to the forefront during Willie's growing up process and provides a fine survey of comedic storytelling through a back-and-forth format that involves readers in a lively discussion suitable for any general-interest holding.

Cell
Robin Cook
Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
http://us.penguingroup.com
9781611762426, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Veteran narrator George Guidall lends his experienced and smooth voice to Robin Cook's latest medical thriller; this one revolving around a doctor's involvement with a radical new smartphone test called iDoc - and what happens when something goes awry. It's based on the latest possible applications of computer and smartphones in the medical world but of course goes a step further in adding intrigue, murder, and danger into the mix. As beta tests result in deaths, the clock is ticking as Dr. Wilson struggles to understand what is going on before more participants die. The new technology is strong, but the plot lacks believability and is too predictable. Despite these flaws, any who gobble medical thrillers will find this intriguing.

Innocence: A Novel
Dean Koontz
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781491511145, $14.99, www.amazon.com

MacLeod Andrews lends a smooth, evocative voice to this story of two very different individuals - both exiles of society who live in hiding and in fear - and how their lives change when they meet. It's love at first sight, albeit against the constant backdrop of danger as each struggles with their own destructive demons and forces that would wish them dead. Is it a romance, a slowly-evolving fairy tale, or a horror story? Koontz incorporates elements of all three genres to create something different: something that will capture and engross readers with vivid plot twists that are unpredictable and satisfying. The audio format just makes the tension all the more exquisite.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Sharks: The Animal Answer Guide
Gene Helfman and George H. Burgess
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu
9781421413099, $26.95, www.amazon.com

Sharks: The Animal Answer Guide blends the latest natural history and scientific discoveries about sharks with anthropology and facts, rounding out everything with black and white (and a center fold of color) photos: the result is an inquiry into the biology, behavior and cultural importance of sharks and their relationships in ecosystems. Anticipate a survey that is technical, specific, and accessible to a wide range of readers from biologists and scientists to general-interest readers of natural history. The book is captivating without being too light, and includes all shark facts. The result is a lovely survey recommended for any interested in sharks.

BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Radiography and Radiology
Andrew Holloway and Fraser McConnell
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
9781905319442, $129.99, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Radiography and Radiology: A Foundation Manual replaces the prior BSAVA MANUAL OF SMALL ANIMAL DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING for vet students, nurses and new graduates and features radiographic reproductions illustrating normal anatomy and patient positioning. An accompanying cd offers further visuals. The result is a solid pick, highly recommended for any technical veterinary reference collection, packed with important images and explanations of the radiographic process.


The Automotive Shelf

Auto Brand
Anders Parment
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100, Philadelphia, PA 19102
www.koganpageusa.com
9780749469290, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Auto Brand: Building Successful Car Brands for the Future provides a fine history of the car industry's brands, how they evolved as they met challenges of globalization, and how they changed with growing regulations over safety and the environment. It uses original research to trace the role of a brand in the success or failure of an auto company and it considers the newer brands such as Kia and how these brands have been re-marketed to attract new, younger audiences. The result is a reasoned study recommended for any collection strong in automobile history and culture.

The Art of the Formula 1 Race Car
Stuart Codling and James Mann
Motorbooks
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9780760346075, $45.00, www.motorbooks.com

The Art of the Formula 1 Race Car presents a coffee-table-sized format to profile the gorgeous full-page color photos by James Mann, while accompanying history written by Formula 1 historian and journalist Stuart Codling profiles the history and technology of the race cars from early to modern times. The result is a complete, in-depth survey of the mechanics, methods, and history of Formula 1, all presented in a lovely format designed to appeal as much to those who want a photo book for browsing as to others who want a history of the evolution of Formula 1 car design. Highly recommended as a gorgeous creation indeed!


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Lakeshore Living
Paul J. Randomski and Kristof Van Assche
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
www.msupress.msu.edu
9781611861181, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Lakeshore Living: Designing Lake Places and Communities in the Footprints of Environmental Writers provides a fine contribution on the management of lakes and wetlands in coastal areas, and is a top pick for any involved in lake management, including local government officials who face land use challenges and zoning management issues. The focus on the science and nature of lakeshore development embraces conservation and social concerns alike, offering a survey of basic principles for humane lakeshore management and providing chapters covering usage issues and ecology. A 'must' for any interested in lakeshore environments and their related issues!


The Science Shelf

A Primer in Biological Data Analysis and Visualization Using R
Gregg Hartvigsen
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231166997, $35.00, www.amazon.com

A Primer in Biological Data Analysis and Visualization Using R covers the basics of applying the most widely-used open-source statistical and programming resources to biological data, and is a recommendation for any college-level course strong in biostatistics and modeling. It offers such students a text demonstrating how to use R and RStudio in computing and processing biological statistics and data, and shows how to work with data from histograms to barplots and scatterplots. Students receive sample tests and a range of analytical processes that can be used in the manipulation of biological data, making this a fine guide for science and R programming students alike.


The Cookbook Shelf

Vietnamese Cuisine in New Orleans
Suzanne Pfefferle
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781455618538, $22.95, www.amazon.com

Vietnamese Cuisine in New Orleans pairs recipes and information on Vietnamese dishes and history in New Orleans with color photos throughout by Leonard Stephen Delbert, Sr., and is a fine recommendation for American cookery and New Orleans collections alike. Here are considerations of the origins of the classic pho dish and its rendition in New Orleans, discussions of French-colonial cross-cultural influences on local Vietnamese cuisine, and a nice selection of recipes in back. Much more than another cookbook, this traces the changing history of the Vietnamese in the New Orleans area.

Flavors of Aleppo
Dalal Kade-Badra & Elie Badra
Whitecap Books
314 West Cordova St., Suite 201
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 1E8
www.whitecap.ca
9781770501782, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Flavors of Aleppo: Celebrating Syrian Cuisine presents an unusual mother-and-son collaboration and provides a unique cookbook that goes beyond Syrian cuisine to incorporate the international flavors unique to the war-torn city of Aleppo. Aleppians have witnessed continual revolutions and conflicts in its city, but have maintained family and food connections - and this cookbook packs in recipes unique to not just Syria, but the city itself. Full-page color photos accompany such dishes as Lentil and Cumin Soup, Skewered Kabobs, and Red Bell Pepper Chicken, making for a very fine presentation unique in the cookbook world!

Sausage Making
Ryan Farr with Jessica Battilana
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781452101781, $35.00, www.amazon.com

SAUSAGE MAKING: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE WITH RECIPES pairs color photos throughout by Ed Anderson with an appealing collection of unusual sausage recipes that range from Boudin Noir with Winter Fruit and Bierwurst to the familiar hot dog. Each recipe offers measurements in U.S. and grams, while chapters divided by different types of sausages - Soft, Combination, Firm, and other designations - make it easy to choose a recipe based on the desired end result. The color photos and step-by-step instructions will especially appeal to newcomers who want a basic sausage guide.

Sensational Buttercream Decorating
Carey Madden
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
www.robertrose.ca
9780778804772, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Sensational Buttercream Decorating: 50 Projects for Luscious Cakes, Mini-Cakes & Cupcakes provides a range of decorating projects, all based on buttercream's versatility and smoothness, and shares years of the author's professional decorating experience in a fine collection of ideas. From mixing colors and writing inscriptions to displaying cakes and storing them, this is an appealing and colorful guide which will prove inspirational and easy for any baker who wants to improve their decorating skills.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

2014 Nurse's Drug Handbook
Jones & Bartlett Learning
5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA 01803
www.jblearning.com
9781284031157, $28.35, www.amazon.com

The 13th updated edition of 2014 Nurse's Drug Handbook provides a newly expanded, updated version of a best-selling classic that's updated annually to retain accuracy, and packs in an index of generic and trade drug names, discussions of interactions and adverse reactions, warnings, dosages and much more. Nurses will find this easy to use for daily nursing reference, and will find the small-size photos and insights perfect for quick, authoritative reference.

ECG Rounds
Thomas Metkus
McGraw-Hill Education
c/o McGraw Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor, NY, NY 10020
www.mhprofessional.com
9780071807630, $79.00, www.mcgrawhillmedical.com

ECG Rounds simulates the medical rounds experience, offers questions paired with vignettes to help students learn, and includes ECG abnormalities to make for an invaluable medical reference for residents and students on cardiology rotation. It offers tracings that document most abnormalities that a general physician trainee needs to know, and it covers the basics of clinical examination and questions with answers that reinforce electrocardiographic basics. With its illustrations and detailed insights, this is a fine technical reference any medical student should have.


The Psychology Shelf

The Therapist's Treasure Chest
Andrea & Filip Caby
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393708622, $26.00, www.amazon.com

The Therapist's Treasure Chest: Solution-Oriented Tips and Tricks for Everyday Practice is a recommendation for psychology collections and psychotherapists, and provides a wide array of field-tested therapy techniques with tools that help therapists match behavioral symptoms and psychological concerns with resources and approaches to management. Dozens of case examples reflect an approach that uses existing client skills and mentality to address and modify behaviors and concerns. The result is a wonderful collection of guidelines perfect for any practicing therapist.

Freud and the Scene of Trauma
John Fletcher
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
www.fordhampress.com
9780823254606, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Freud and the Scene of Trauma is a recommendation for any collection strong in psychoanalysis and psychology, and even for those college-level readers of literature and philosophy, and argues that Freud's approach to trauma is central to his clinical psychology and his construction of concepts to explain scenes of trauma in his patients. His approach directly connects to his break from the neurological model of trauma he inherited and explains his connections to literature, providing students of psychology with a discussion of Freud's shift from a traumatic to a developmental model. The result is a scholarly survey recommended for any college-level student of Freud and psychoanalysis.

The Healing Power of Writing
Susan Borkin
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393708219, $24.95, www.amazon.com

The Healing Power of Writing: A Therapist's Guide to Using Journaling With Clients provides a review of the process of therapeutic journaling and the benefits from its use, but goes beyond discussion of its possibilities by providing therapists with clear steps for introducing journaling to psychotherapy clients and pairing that with a treatment plan. Chapters discuss common problems, nine different diagnoses and how they can benefit by the journaling process, and show how to help clients focus during the process. Psychotherapists who would consider this approach need this book's clear direction on how to get the most from it.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Plant and Fungus Totems
Lupa
Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
www.llewellyn.com
9780738740393, $16.99, www.amazon.com

Plant and Fungus Totems: Connect with Spirits of Field, Forest, and Garden shows how to work with bioregional totems and others that relate to magic and healing, and moves far beyond competing books on 'plant magic' that focus on using fresh and dried plants in healing and magic endeavors. This considers the lesser-covered totemic relationship with all kinds of plants and fungi, including hands-on work in cooking, herbalism and crop plants and covering fungi in as much detail as plants. Chapters provide important insights into plants as totems and delve into spiritual meaning, providing new age readers with a treasure trove of details. The result is a solid recommendation for any new age collection!

Revolt of the Rebel Angels
Timothy Wyllie
Bear & Co.
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591431749, $20.00, www.amazon.com

Revolt of the Rebel Angels: The Future of the Multiverse represents insights from rebel angel Georgia as she writes through author Timothy Wyllie, and is a recommended pick for any new age collection. After millennia of celestial quarantine from Lucifer's angelic revolt, Earth and the rebel angels here are being welcomed back into the Multiverse. How has that event shaped the past, present and future of the human race? Chapters here reveal Georgia's half million years stationed on Earth as a watcher, covers her part in this angelic history, and details the Lucifer Rebellion and its lasting impact. Any who read alternative spirituality will find this an involving, striking survey!


The Military Shelf

Nieuport 11/16 Bebe vs. Fokker Eindecker
Jon Guttman
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781782003533, $18.95, www.amazon.com

Nieuport 11/16 Bebe vs. Fokker Eindecker: Western Front 1916 provides a fine examination of the history of the fighters and discusses how the Fokker E I began a reign of terror over the Western Front. The French Nieuport 11 entered the fray with dogfights that brought air combat into its down arena during the war, and this book documents the history of these fighters and their achievements. Any collection strong in aerial combat, aviation history or World War I history will find this a winner.

The Americans on D-Day
Martin K.A. Morgan
Zenith Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com, www.zenithpress.com
9780760346204, $45.00, www.amazon.com

The Americans on D-Day: A Photographic History of the Normandy Invasion appears in an oversized, coffee-table-style format that packs vintage photos with historic reviews of the most complicated amphibious landing operation of World War II. Photographers were at hand to capture images of all the battles, but the majority of images were taken by military photographers. Professional and personal images blend in a powerful survey that provides a fine visual portrait of events.


The Art Shelf

Drawing and Painting Flowers with Coloured Pencils
Trudy Friend
Search Press USA
1338 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954-1117
www.searchpressusa.com
9781844489428, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Drawing and Painting Flowers with Coloured Pencils provides a fine study that profiles using watercolour pencils to create lovely flower results. Here's a step-by-step art book that shows how to use the pencil to its best advantage, detailing how to draw flowers in a range of settings and landscapes. From starting on an initial sketch to incorporating flowers into an overall landscape, this is a lovely guide highly recommended for any who would capture nature via pencil.

The Paleoart of Julius Csotonyi
Julius Csotonyi and Steve White
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
www.titanbooks.com
9781781169124, $34.95, www.amazon.com

The Paleoart of Julius Csotonyi: Dinosaurs, Sabre-Tooths and Beyond will appeal to arts, science fiction and natural history collections alike, presenting the artistic creations of Julius Csotonyi, whose works combine professional biological insights with artistry. With its oversized presentation and accompanying information on the man and his approach, this creates a fine catalog detailing his creations and is a recommended pick for any interested in dinosaur depiction.


The Computer Shelf

Learning PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, CSS & HTML5
Robin Nixon
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com
9781491949467, $49.99, www.amazon.com

Learning PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, CSS & HTML5 is a top pick for any interested in learning PHP basics and building interactive websites with a combination of technologies and web standards - even if only basic HTML knowledge is in hand - and makes for a fine survey recommended for all levels of web programmer. Chapters explore each technology separately, then meld it with the others with applications that take advantage of the strengths of all. With keys to working with JavaScript and handling Ajax calls, among many other features, programmers can work with the best features of each program.

Programming Sound with Pure Data
Tony Hillerson
Pragmatic Programmers
2831 Eldorado Parkway, #103-381, Frisco, TX 75033-7438
www.pragprog.com
9781937785666, $36.00, www.amazon.com

Programming Sound with Pure Data explores Pure Data and sound design basics, covering how to apply it to create realistic sound effects, how to sample and analyze sound, and how to tackle common sound design issues. Real-world projects centered around designing sound, building the app and blending effects using the libpd library help any skill level understand the basics of sound programming and synthesis. Charts, graphs, and plenty of examples and detail make this a winner.

Software Testing Foundations, fourth edition
Andreas Spillner, Tilo Linz, Hans Schaefer
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
www.rockynook.com
9781937538422, $44.95, www.amazon.com

The basics of software testing processes are covered in Software Testing Foundations: a Study Guide for the Certified Tester Exam, which appears in its fourth updated edition and comes from the creators of the Certified Tester Syllabus. This revised edition covers entry level software testing techniques and is designed as a handbook for self-study, offering all the details needed to pass the Certified Tester-Foundations Level exam, version 2011. Between complete revision of material and new technical terms, this is not to be missed!

Practical Cassandra
Russell Bradberry and Eric Lubow
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780321933942, $34.99, www.informit.com/aw

Practical Cassandra: A Developer's Approach provides a fine developer's guide to building Cassandra systems and applications that excel in speed, reliability and performance, and provides a text that reflects the latest versions of Cassandra, from its user-friendly Query Language to building a production application that can store and manipulate unstructured data. Everything from set-up and migration to decisions about data modeling are included in a guide that includes tested sample code, case studies by notable Cassandra users (such as eBay), and plenty of tables and charts of examples. Any collection strong in programming languages for developers will find this a key acquisition.


The Education Shelf

Preschoolers & Kindergartners Moving & Learning
Rae Pica
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
www.redleafpress.org
9781605542683, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Preschoolers & Kindergartners Moving & Learning is a pick for any physical education teacher at the preschool and kindergarten levels, and provides everything needed to integrate a physical education program into the curriculum. From discussions of various creative movement options and how they support a child's overall health and growth to specific tips on creating a positive learning environment, this pairs twenty lesson plans with 45-minute activities per plan and includes a cd of original music to add to the mix. The result is a highly recommended book any early learner teacher will want to consult for creative physical education options!

Common Core Standards in Diverse Classrooms
Jeff Zwiers, et.al.
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781571109972, $25.00, www.amazon.com

Common Core Standards in Diverse Classrooms: Essential Practices for Developing Academic Language and Disciplinary Literacy focuses on seven research-based teaching practices for developing complex language and literacy skills across grades and disciplines, and is a recommendation for any educator concerned with common core standards applications in real-world classrooms. Chapters focus on classroom activities based on these practices and goals, using classroom examples from different grades and offering detailed lessons on language and literacy development. The result is more than theory: it's classroom application of the common core at its best.


The Business Shelf

Be the Best Presenter Ever
Karen Hough
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
www.bkconnection.com
9781626560475, $17.95, www.amazon.com

Be the Best Presenter Ever: Break the Rules, Make Mistakes, and Win Them Over debunks myths about presenting and offers controversial insights on how presenters can make more effective impact by rejecting rules and incorporating passion into their work. She explains how commonly-held notions of how to practice on and put together a presentation are wrong, and she includes true success stories of those who broke the rules and achieved extraordinary results. A fine survey results, recommended for any business reader!

Lean Customer Development
Cindy Alvarez
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com
9781449356354, $24.99, www.amazon.com

Lean Customer Development: Build Products Your Customers Will Buy joins others in the 'Lean' series: this considering what products people will use and buy and how to use customer development research to test potential interest before developing a product or service. Chapters show how to use interviewing and research techniques to identify customer behaviors, potential problems, and assumptions about the product, and show how to create more effective customer strategies and products as a result. The result is a pick for any business collection.


The Crafts Shelf

Contain It!
Linda Chaney and Laura Chaney Gerth
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.americanquilter.com
9781604601329, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Contain It! English Paper-Pieced Style Accessories provides a range of projects for home decor, and is a pick for any crafter working with paper. Templates and detailed step-by-step directions with lovely photos accompany paper-based projects perfect for gifts and decoration, and offer a wide range of projects perfect for newcomers to paper piecing as well as those with some skills in the art.

Creative Designs Using Shaped Beads
Anna Elizabreth Draeger
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
www.kalmbachbooks.com
9781627000529, $21.99, www.amazon.com

Creative Designs Using Shaped Beads offers new shapes for bead stitching and projects using classic shapes from cubes to lentils, as well as new shapes such as spike and tile. Learn to make earrings, bracelets, and a range of styles with projects that explore different options for pairing bead shapes to make a unified, different peace. Chapters are all about developing skills during these projects, and will teach jewelry-makers the basics of using shaped beads in a range of projects.

Playing with Pop-Ups
Helen Hiebert
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781592539086, $24.99, www.quarrybooks.com

Playing with Pop-Ups: The Art of Dimensional, Moving Paper Designs isn't a book for kids, as one might anticipate from the term 'pop-up': it's a compendium of amazing handmade papercraft art and guides beginners through the rudiments of choosing materials, tools, and creating pop-up structures and movable mechanisms. Chapters teach how to create interactive pieces, provide a wide range of creations from pop-up artists, and show how to move beyond the book/paper format to create pop-up jewelry, a puppet, and more. Full-page color photos and good-size step-by-step photos accompany materials sidebars and everything needed to produce an artistic pop-up result.


The International Studies Shelf

Bridging Troubled Waters
James Manicom
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781626160354, $32.95, www.amazon.com

Bridging Troubled Waters: China, Japan, and maritime Order in the East China Sea covers territorial disputes over islands and waters, and documents the ongoing history of conflict and cooperative efforts in maritime relations between Japan and China. Any collection strong in security, international affairs, and Asian politics and history in particular will find this a thorough investigation of the two nations and how they manage maritime disputes, making it a top recommendation for any college-level political studies and Asian history collection.

China's Second Continent
Howard W. French
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780307956989, $27.95, www.amazon.com

China's Second Continent: How a Million Migrants Are Building a New Empire in Africa reveals China's export of millions of people to Africa: a move that is rapidly changing the face of Africa. It comes from a prizewinning foreign correspondent and former New York Times bureau chief in Shanghai and Central Africa and offers his unique blend of reporting and insider information to tell of this changing face of China's presence across Africa. Who are these Chinese emigrants? Chapters show their motivations for going to Africa, their various endeavors, and African responses to Chinese presence. A valuable, eye-opening examination of the changing face of the world, China's Second Continent should be in every political studies, social issues and general-interest collection.


The Social Issues Shelf

Human Nature and the Evolution of Society
Stephen K. Sanderson
Westview Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.westviewpress.com
9780813349367, $60.00, www.amazon.com

Human Nature and the Evolution of Society uses psychology, sociobiology and human behavioral ecology to explore social life in society and considers everything from parenthood and kinship to social violence, using case study examples from around the world and throughout human and animal societies. This wide-ranging discussion comes from a professor who taught sociology and anthropology for over three decades: his insights and ideas make for engrossing study and are especially recommended for college-level students of sociology.

The Practice of Generalist Social Work
Julie Berkenmeier, et.al.
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, New York, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9780415873369, $95.90, www.amazon.com

The Practice of Generalist Social Work is a course in a book designed to be taught in three semesters to college-level audiences, but accessible by any interested in learning about the theories of social justice, human rights, and social work practice. The three cases presented here have been designed for this series and book, while companion readings and pieces are integrated into the text for maximum effect. The blending of theory with case study examples is especially effective considering the website it's paired with, giving students a well-rounded overview of generalist social work practice. The result will reach into many a course on social work theory and applications.

World Heritage and National Registers: Stewardship in Perspective
Thomas Gensheimer and Celeste Lovette Guichard, Editors
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
www.transactionpub.com
9781412852654, $49.95, www.amazon.com

World Heritage and National Registers: Stewardship in Perspective discusses historic sites, politics and the controversies surrounding heritage designations, and is a key reference for any interested in how historic structures are designated and managed. Concerns range from political impact to community and site change, management and planning processes: all discussed in a fine survey that is recommended for social issues and political studies collections alike.

No Place to Hide
Glenn Greenwald
Metropolitan Books
c/o Henry Holt & Company
175 - 5th Avenue, Suite 400, New York, NY 10010-7725
www.henryholt.com
9781627790734, $27.00, www.amazon.com

NO PLACE TO HIDE: EDWARD SNOWDEN, THE NSA, AND THE U.S. SURVEILLANCE STATE offers an eye-opening read from an award-winning journalist who offers a definitive probe of the NSA's spying program and how Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the operation, and is a pick for any collection strong in social issues. Greenwald did more than assemble facts: he journeyed to Hong Kong to meet with Snowden, cross-examined him (the author's a former lawyer), and here offers accounts of Snowden's efforts coupled with new information about the expansion of the NSA's program. Adding some fifty new documents from the Snowden archives completes the authority and eye-opening story, which should be key to any political studies or social issues collection.

Experimenting with Social Norms
Jean Ensminger and Joseph Henrich, Editors
Russell Sage Foundation
112 East 64th Street, New York, NY 10065
www.russellsage.org
9780871545008, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Experimenting with Social Norms: Fairness and Punishment in Cross-Cultural Perspective addresses questions about human cooperation and social norms that promote altruism and philanthropist actions, and is recommended for college-level collections strong in discussions of cooperation and connections between social norms of fairness and economic growth. It analyzes social behavior under different circumstances, pairs fifteen case studies that include field experiments around the world in different societies, and summarizes some fifteen years of cross-cultural work. A 'must' for any social issues collection!


The LGBT Shelf

Lawfully Wedded Husband
Joel Derfner
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299294908, $26.95, www.amazon.com

Lawfully Wedded Husband: How My Gay Marriage will Save the American Family departs from your usual survey of gay marriage to blend autobiography with a review of not just gay rights and how to organize a gay ceremony, but what makes a marriage and a family. It considers civil rights issues, family marriage history, and a host of related issues; all wrapped in the story of two men who travel down the road to married bliss with each other. The result is a fun read, filled with personal and political insights alike for any reader of social issues.


The Interior Design Shelf

Design Bloggers at Home
Ellie Tennant
Ryland Peters & Small
519 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10012
www.rylandpeters.com
9781849755078, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Design Bloggers at Home tells of a global network of interior design bloggers who create inspiring interior design dialogues online daily, and who here use alternative online media to promote different trends and options that often depart from mainstream design ideas. Authors of these leading design blogs are featured here, in a study which includes their very different homes and approaches to the interior design process. A fine recommendation for any interested in the finer arts of creating both a home and a winning blog.


The Architecture Shelf

The House with Sixteen Handmade Doors
Henry Petroski and Catherine Petroski
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393242041, $27.95, www.amazon.com

The House with Sixteen Handmade Doors is a lovely book recommended and home and garden and arts collections alike, and tells of the author and his wife's purchase of a sixty-year-old house in Maine which held many puzzles: not the least of which was the emerging story of its creator, a 'folk-architect' whose influence was widely present in the house's unusual embellishments. From the history of a house that was changed by many of its inhabitants to its evolution over time, this is a lovely survey of an evolving abode, enhanced by color photos by Catherine Petroski. The result is an engrossing mystery and house-ownership celebration recommended for architectural studies, as well as general-interest and home and garden collections alike.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Skin Game
Jim Butcher
Roc
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780451464392, $27.95, www.amazon.com

SKIN GAME: A NOVEL OF THE DRESDEN FILES provides a new addition to the urban noir fantasy series about a wry P.I. who specializes in supernatural cases and alternate magical realm investigations. Here Harry is assigned to help a group of supernatural villains break into a high-security vault and recover the Holy Grail from Hades. But aside from this task, there are many underlying games being played, and it's up to Harry to play them well - or suffer the consequences. Fast action and fantasy blend in a fine detective story recommended for any enthusiast of fantasy or detective genres.

Who's Who of Doctor Who
Cameron K. McEwan
Race Point Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
9781937994709, $27.99, www.racepointpublishing.com

Who's Who of Doctor Who: A Whovian's Guide to Friends, Foes, Villains, Monsters, and Companions to the Good Doctor is a recommendation for Doctor Who fans and packs in some 300 entries in an encyclopedia of heroes, villains, and companions to The Doctor over the decades. Familiarity with this long-running TV show is essential for an appreciation of this extensive survey of the characters and their interrelationships. Photos from some fifty years of the show pack a winning reference that invites browsing from any interested in the Doctor Who universe.

The Merchant Emperor
Elizabeth Haydon
Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
9780765305664, $25.99, www.amazon.com

The Merchant Emperor provides a new addition to The Symphony of Ages series, and is especially recommended for prior followers who have long anticipated the second volume of the trilogy. Here Ashe and Rhapsody are gathering their allies as war falls upon them, and the Merchant Emperor of Sorbold has allied himself with a pair of demons and are targeting dragons. Talquist wants everything under his rule: and so begins a web of intrigue as Rhapsody struggles with the certainty that she must join the war effort against all her instincts. A powerful saga emerges that compliments and continues the prior book and is highly recommended for fans.

1636: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies
Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
www.baen.com
9781476736785, $25.00, www.amazon.com

Eddie Cantrell is now married to the king's daughter and has been sent on a mission to secure the oil up-time machines require. One thing proves an insurmountable obstacle: the Spanish presence in the New World. To get around them, he'll require exceptional skills and cunning; and as Cantrell faces dangers from all sides - including social conflicts his new wife struggles with - he finds that his Caribbean encounters are moving steadily towards a dangerous showdown. The result is an engrossing alternate history read highly recommended for fan of the genre; especially former enthusiasts of Flint's action-packed series.

The Long Mars
Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
9780062297297, $25.99, www.amazon.com

THE LONG MARS is set in 2040, when a Yellowstone eruption has ended civilization as we know it, sending survivors to flee into different stepwise Earths. Three individuals involved in the post-eruption clean-up find themselves facing a brave new world in Long Earth, where a new breed of advanced post-humans is emerging, causing 'normal' humans to fight them. It's all about survival - ultimately of the Long Earth itself - in this vivid story of evolution and change, highly recommended for any science fiction enthusiast.

On the Steel Breeze
Alastair Reynolds
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguingroup.com
9780425256787, $26.95, www.amazon.com

On the Steel Breeze provides a sequel to the 2012 BLUE REMEMBERED EARTH, the first of the Poseidon's Children trilogy, but moves ahead almost two hundred years after events in that story to examine the world of Chiku, the great granddaughter of Eunice who is one of millions in a fleet of ships headed to a new plant and a new home. The only problem is: the plant's already taken. What now? An engrossing sequence of events evolves, perfect for fans of the prior novel and more than able to attract and engross newcomers.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

American Gold & Platinum Eagles
Edmund C. Moy
Whitman Publishing
4001 Helton Drive, Florence, Alabama, 35630
www.whitman.com
9780794839734, $29.95, www.amazon.com

American Gold & Platinum Eagles: A Guide to The U.S. Bullion Coin Programs is recommended specifically for coin collectors with an interest in Gold and Platinum Eagle coins, and uses the author's lifetime of interest in coins and collecting to provide a history of these popular collectibles. His background as director of the U.S. Mint lends an expertise and credibility to chapters covering the history and evolution of these coins. No coin collector should be without this definitive, unique guide!

Mother-of-Pearl Antiques and Collectibles
Michael Meyer, Dawn Meyer, Patricia Martin
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764345289, $75.00, www.amazon.com

Mother-of-Pearl Antiques and Collectibles is not for the casual collector, but for the serious collector interested in the history, collection and art of carved mother-of-pearl. It considers this art and history by packing in over 5,000 photos on artifacts, recording important primary research findings on its historic use and classifying mother-of-pearl by age, use, origin and size. Much more than just a collector's identification handbook, this weighty reference packs in all the details and accompanies this history with full-page color photos throughout. There's simply nothing like it in print, making for an indispensable reference for collector and art holdings alike!

Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: Specialized Issues, twelfth edition
George S. Cuhaj, Editor
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
700 East State Street, Iola WI 54945
www.krausebooks.com
9781440238833, $90.00, www.amazon.com

The twelfth updated edition of Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: Specialized Issues packs in reference details from some 50 international contributors to provide the largest catalog of world bank notes of a specialized nature. Some 27,500 note varieties are listed and valued up to three grades of condition, while some 12,000 illustrations aid in their identification. New to this edition are complete listings for China's foreign, military and early Communist era banks and other specialized issues from Mexico and Central and South American banks. The result is a top pick collectors will find key to identifying and valuing specialized issues.


The Music Shelf

A Friend in the Music Business
Bruce Pollock
Hal Leonard
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonardbooks.com
9781423492214, $29.99, www.amazon.com

A Friend in the Music Business: The ASCAP Story comes from a music writer who considers the ASCAP's influence on the music industry for the past 100 years, charting the growth of an association founded by popular songwriters, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the group's right to collect royalties for the public performances of its members' copyrighted music: but that was just one of its many achievements as it has defended creators' rights and the efforts of young composers. This history is key to understanding the group's evolution and is essential for any music history holding.

Rush FAQ
Max Mobley
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonardbooks.com
9781617134517, $24.99, www.backbeatbooks.com

RUSH FAQ: ALL THAT'S LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT ROCK'S GREATEST POWER TRIO will intrigue any fan of the rock group RUSH with its authoritative collection, written by a music industry veteran who has been writing about them for over ten years. Chapters consider their music, personalities, and struggles with fame and provide a vivid account highly recommended for any interested in rock music history in general and specifics about Rush's experiences in particular.


The Biography Shelf

Charles M. Russell: Photographing the Legend
Larry Len Peterson
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806144733, $60.00, www.amazon.com

There have been many books covering Charles M. Russell's art, but this one is something different: a biography of the artist which uses hundreds of images of Russell - many published here for the first time - to explore how photography shapes an artist's image and helps sell his art. It's rare to see a definitive guide which is both an art book and a biography, but this achieves both, offering collections strong in the arts a powerful survey of Russell the artist and the evolution of his image and career. A 'must' for any American Biography and American Arts collection!

Tom Horn in Life and Legend
Larry D. Ball
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806144522, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Tom Horn in Life and Legend centers around a Western figure who was both an outlaw and a detective, a lawman and an assassin. It provides a historical biography centering around his career and follows how he became a civilian in the Apache wars when he was in his twenties, fought in the last battle with the Apaches, and held a brutal approach to law and order which created a controversial, colorful career that ultimately ended in hanging for killing a teen boy. This study uses source materials and new explorations to discern the truth about Horn and to separate fact from legend: his survey is a top pick for any looking for an in-depth, definitive biography of a notorious figurehead.

Through the Glass
Shannon Moroney
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781451678208, $25.00, www.amazon.com

THROUGH THE GLASS provides a powerful autobiography charting the course of one woman's shattered life and psyche when her happy marriage crashed upon her husband's arrest for brutally assaulting and kidnapping two women. The author's shock, grief, and the stress of being associated with a major criminal investigation melded with her confusion over hew new husband's violent secrets, and offers examinations not just of her own emotional turmoil and changes, but the dangers of a correctional system that punishes rather than rehabilitates. It's a hard-hitting memoir that won't fail to grab attention and interest, recommended for any general-interest collection as well as holdings strong in autobiography, criminal history, and mental health.


The Travel Shelf

Old-Fashioned Corners of Paris
Christophe Destournelles
Little Bookroom
435 Hudson St, Suite 300, New York NY 10014
9781936941100, $18.95, www.littlebookroom.com

Old-Fashioned Corners of Paris packages an unusual treat in a pocket-sized hardcover book replete with photos by Christophe Lefebure and a coverage focusing on the little-tourist, authentically Parisian flavors, sounds, and areas of the city, and is recommended both for armchair travelers and those who would tour Paris. Visitors receive addresses and phone numbers for small shops and unique venues, while armchair travelers will appreciate the cultural insights and lively historical reflections throughout. A 'must' for any travel holding!


The Photography Shelf

Asylum of the Birds
Roger Ballen
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500544297, $60.00, www.amazon.com

Asylum of the Birds profiles photos by a striking image maker who employs and unusual tactic: all his black and white images where photographed within a house in a Johannesburg suburb. With this setting Ballen set up scenes that are striking and dramatic, depicting a strange world both familiar and alien, where people and birds exist side by side and where the boundaries between beauty and ugliness are blurred by oddities and new approaches to perception. Any collection strong in modern art photography will find this a striking, unique approach and addition.

We're Engaged!
Bob & Dawn Davis
Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
www.amherstmedia.com
9781608957330, $27.95, www.amazon.com

We're Engaged! Photographing Vibrant and Joyful Portraits of the Happy Couple comes from two photographers and photo-educators who show how to select locations, get great poses, and create amazing wedding photos, and is a 'must' for any photographer who would capture unique engagement shots. Most photography titles focus on wedding portraits; but this book's emphasis on portraying happy couples celebrating their relationship makes for a wider-ranging focus perfect for any photographer.


The California Shelf

A Field Guide to California Lichens
Stephen Sharnoff
Yale University Press
PO Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040
http://yalepress.yale.edu
9780300195002, $32.50, www.amazon.com

A Field Guide to California Lichens is a pick for science collections, holdings strong in California biology and environmental history, hikers and birders, and any who have been intrigued by California lichens, and offers new photos of some 500 lichen species by the nature photographer/author, who has spent much of his life photographing lichens. Color close-up photos on every page accompany descriptions, keys to identification and common misidentification, and insights into lichen natural history that will reach beyond California-specific collections into general college-level biology holdings.

Stories in the Sand
Lorri Ungaretti
Balangero Books
P. O. Box 640076, San Francisco, CA 94164
9780984001537, $26.95, www.balangerobooks.com

Stories in the Sand: San Francisco's Sunset District, 1947-1964 pairs lovely photos from all eras with a well-researched history including quotes from those connected to the Sunset District, packing in some 200 archival photos and offering an in-depth focus on one of the lesser-covered districts of San Francisco. Bibliographic references are presented in every chapter while little-known, colorful accounts of the pioneers who built the Sunset make for a lively blend of researched history and personal experience. There's nothing quite like it in print: while it's generously illustrated with vintage photos, its strength lies in the addition of well-detailed history throughout, making it a 'must' for any definitive San Francisco history holding!

Yosemite Adventures
Matt Johanson
Triumph Books
814 N. Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
9781600789144, $19.95, www.triumphbooks.com

Yosemite Adventures: 50 Spectacular Hikes, Climbs, and Winter Treks offers outdoors enthusiasts of all levels a color guidebook from a lifelong hiker who is familiar with the Yosemite area, and includes winter opportunities as well as all-season options for enjoying the park. From maps and color graphics to chapters arranged by categories of activities from rock climbing to backpacking, this is a wonderful survey packed with ideas for making the most of Yosemite's many opportunities, year-round.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com

Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net


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